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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29488569">our love was made for movie screens</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/posiepark24/pseuds/posiepark24'>posiepark24</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>we can choose each other [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Legacies (TV 2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Minor Hizzie, biker!penelope, just posie with lots of unsaid words for them to work out, lizzie and josie having heart to heart, lizzie still acting like she hates penelope but not really, oohhh i love writing these and it's been in my drafts for months, posie having brunch but not fighting, she's just miffed about her sister and her soulmate having feelings with the she-devil, soulmatism will be explored, we're moving forward</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 23:49:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>13,939</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29488569</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/posiepark24/pseuds/posiepark24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After learning the truth of Penelope's early departure years ago. Josie is confronted over the fact that she hasn't gotten over her first love and how does she manage to fuck up her current love life the whole day without realizing it. Well, she knew. Spending time and thinking about the dark-haired witch just spun her outside of her orbit and that's how it usually is. </p><p> </p><p>(Where Josie needs to confront her past and her undeniable remaining feelings for Penelope.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hope Mikaelson/Lizzie Saltzman, Penelope Park/Josie Saltzman</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>we can choose each other [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2154321</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. i'd meet you where the spirit meets the bones</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>question for the people:</p><p>is it emotional cheating if you never told your significant other that you had a torrid love affair (not that the two had an affair it was a relationship but they were literally so in love with each other who broke each other hearts for a reason) when you are younger and then years later you're confronted with meeting each other again.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><blockquote>
  <p class="indent1">I find no peace, and have no arms for war,<br/>and fear and hope, and burn and yet I freeze,<br/>and fly to heaven, lying on earth's floor,<br/>and nothing hold, and all the world I seize.</p>
  <p class="indent1">My jailer opens not, nor locks the door,<br/>nor binds me to hear, nor will loose my ties;<br/>Love kills me not, nor breaks the chains I wear,<br/>nor wants me living, nor will grant me ease.</p>
  <p class="indent1">I have no tongue, and shout; eyeless, I see;<br/>I long to perish, and I beg for aid;<br/>I love another, and myself I hate.</p>
  <p class="indent1">Weeping I laugh, I feed on misery,<br/>by death and life so equally dismayed:<br/>for you, my lady, am I in this state.</p>
  <p class="indent1">       -Petrarch, The Canzoniere, Sonnet 134</p>
  <p class="indent1">          (Translation of Anthony Mortimer)</p>
</blockquote><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">For the past few weeks since she met with Lizzie, Hope, and Penelope down to the breakfast and coffee shop near Central Park Zoo. Her mind couldn’t get enough of thinking about Penelope. As if her usual hour of thinking about the raven-haired witch has turned into a day and night regimen. Even Marcella noticed her spacing out as of late. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Not to add that right now, Hope was laying on her bed as she tries to get even on checking lab papers that Dr. Pong passed on her because apparently she couldn’t be left alone in a lab without fucking up the growing microbes that her professor was asking for her to monitor. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What do you think, us moving here?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hope inquired, she distractedly pulls away from the paper to look at Hope who has a dopey lovesick grin on her face. Gross. She had enough of Lizzie swooning over the tribrid once the whole gig was up but seeing her best friend also acts like this in front of her. She’d rather be in the dark than subject herself to these constant heart eyes because Hope Mikaelson acting this mushy is not something she’s used to. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Have you talked to Liz, to your aunt, to the Crescents?” she tried to be the voice of reason, by telling Hope where her priorities are at. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Actually, Lizzie was the one who brought it up, all my life I thought I will move back to Nola, you know with my aunt… and her band of witches and not to forget my pack. Then your sister happened and she has this idea of opening her shop in SoHo while the half could be my art studio. I’m not opposed to it. I mean, this kind of life. It’s more appealing. Less stressful and I don’t even need to constantly look on edge all the time because here, I have you two and Penelope’s. I know I could stay in France, away from all the supernatural drama but god knows I need to get back in here.” her hand stops from checking the paper as she heard the last name uttered by Hope.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You know, P, always have my back even when I don’t know it. How she fucked up my relationship with Landon back then before she left because she knew that the monster was after Landon. How she did me a solid anytime I’m losing it. It’s always her twisted way of caring that put even the entire school safe when she was still there, me safe, even getting pulled out of Malivore. For years I thought it was because I’m killing him that’s why I got thrown out, because I’m the tribrid, containing the blood of the three supernatural that created him years ago when I met Thea in Paris, she said she’s glad I’m back from being trapped and Penelope never ceases to be nothing but a royal pain in the ass but a genius nonetheless. Penelope creates a beacon in Mystic Falls for my power and whenever I accessed my magic a magnetic forcefield will suck me out. I was so sure, it made sense in my head until I realized that me jumping in it just disturbed Malivore’s connection to this plane. That even the necromancer has been able to re-create the dimension that Malivore has by using the three species of blood. his witch blood, Raf’s, and a vampire. If it wasn’t for OBR explaining the whole process and helping us closing that dimension and destroying the Necromancer for real. I would never really grasp the situation we’re under. Then here comes Penelope, she never did say anything about her involvement.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie listens, and it still amazed her. She never understood the friendship the two shared though she witnessed it. It was Penelope who really made Hope her friend, the times she hangs out in the raven-haired girl's room when they were dating and Hope will entertain Penelope’s daily chess matches was enough to ease the discomfort she’s feeling. Even though half the time it was trash-talking each other it was comforting because they looked like bantering siblings who pushed each other to be better. There was no coddling or circumventing the real situation. Witnessing that was hard and thus she tries to minimize her interaction with Hope as thoughts of guilt will creep up which will end on writing down in her journal the guilt she’s feeling about the wedge she put between her twin and Hope. Because despite all the things that are going on, her sister deserved something this constant not just from her excessive coddling or doing everything her sister want but to experience such a bond where real growth happened because that’s what it was like witnessing Hope and Penelope. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">For some time she spent nights guiltily thinking of coming forward but too afraid that the result will end with her alone and left out. So she swallows the bile that’s coming up of her throat and goes on pretending everything is okay. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Good thing that Penelope hasn’t given her the spelled pen yet that it remained her secret until the whole truth went out that fateful aftermath of that road trip. Where Lizzie saw the real Hope. The one she knew and got close to. Then she read Penelope’s burn book and there lies her sister’s real feelings poured into words. Outpouring the pain she causes and the doubt it cast on Lizzie because that was one of the things that weighed her sister down so bad. It was then she starts pulling away as anger and self-isolation have been her coping mechanism until the triad attack. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I was hurt you know,” she fully turned around, looking at the twin-sized bed where Hope was sitting, back in the headboard and clasping both hands, her face in deep reverie.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What? Why?” Hope asked, confused.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You never told me that you’ve been in contact with Penelope since you were in Sorbonne.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Jo, it wasn’t my place.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“…and my sister being in on it… I just don’t want to make it an issue when I learned it three weeks ago but it’s eating me out.” she honestly shared, venom slightly slipping out.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Lizzie couldn’t, I couldn’t. You know how Penelope is. If she wanted to keep things a secret she’ll keep it. Damn, she kept the secret of helping Caroline for years, but I’m glad you knew that. It was weighing me down.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How is she really?” she tried changing the subject. Penelope came forward on their breakfast, and how it was a painfully numbing experience, another slapped in her face about how the other witch can give her whiplash. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">How Penelope's real reason for leaving is to help her mom looked for a solution to their Gemini problem. To her problem and not being forward about it as she does her speaking of riddles when she left seven years ago. It’s another reason why she looked so ragged with a lack of sleep and no concentration at all. Because Penelope Park is so damn hard to understand, her actions and how she couldn’t just be real to her. To tell her the exact things and not speak in riddles because she’s not, she’s not good at reading the girl’s subtextual messaging at all times. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She watched Hope take in a breath. There’s something going on, she wasn’t sure what is it, so she gave the tribrid a pointed look.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m way over the secrecy, can you just be honest with me.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“She’s— the reason why she’s really in New York has something to do with her aunt and older sister being in New York. She caught herself in some kind of a bind. Your mom’s helping too but…” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie thought hard, on all the people in Penelope’s family who are in New York then it dawned on her. Andromeda Park is part of Columbia’s faculty for three years now and created a partnership with Ethuil’s, something on infectious disease research, she hasn’t really paid attention to it. Even avoid the blonde green eyes in the university mixers. Heaven knows she tries to keep away from all things Park ever since they broke up. Reading research or even the monthly scientific journal or magazines even business section and lifestyle sections where the Park’s are usually mentioned are things she avoids. Then it hit her, Pandora Park, Penelope’s favorite and youngest aunt also stays in New York being the head of the Department of Neurosurgery in NY-Presbyterian Hospital. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“She’s sick…” it was a whispered realization. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her mind has a mind of its own, controlling her body to move in auto-pilot. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She’s already in her jeans and a very old yellow Salvatore t-shirt so she took her grey Columbia hoodie and slipped it on partnered with her sneakers. She knew she’s acting like a maniac as she grabs her mounted bike off the wall and pushing it out of her dorm. Her thoughts are too jumbled and angry, angry at herself, at Penelope, at Hope, her mother, and Lizzie for keeping this from her. Because it was too much, she was so numb from feeling too much, and now… now… Hope hinted that Penelope’s not okay. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It’s too much and she just wanted to confront the girl who has all the answers and all the solution to the pain she’s going under. So she’s gonna go, face it all at once because Penelope told her that anger is often masked fear and should be faced. Because even though her heart is breaking all the trinket of life lessons she got from the raven-haired girl when they were dating or fighting are all still in her head, reminding her all the time. That’s how impactful the witch is, sad, lonely, and alone yet too wise for her own good, and too selfless despite her adamant pushing that she’s the one whose selfless when all this time. She’s been too selfish, and she hated it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">What she didn’t realize was Hope’s following her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Josie! Where are you going?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Penelope owned the Italian brownstone in the east side, near 5th on the 63rd. She brought us to the breakfast coffee shop near Central Park Zoo and I once went with Penelope there.” she snaps, distant memories of practicing cutting through space and step through the veil to travel between distances in just a few steps. It was one of the secret spells that Penelope taught her. It wasn’t the normal teleportation spell where your biological structure is being altered and whisked away towards another location. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s on the opposite side of the town, Jos.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t care, Hope. I need an answer and goddamn it. I just need an answer okay. Will you let me go.” she swayed her arms hard, pulling away from the death-like grip Hope had on her wrist.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hope let her go… because she’s in the service elevator with her bike on and going downward, and each beep inside the enclosed tin is fuelling her anxiety about the situation. Not minding the lady who usually greets her with cheery politeness down in reception because her body is on a mission while her mind is too lost on memories.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">So when she put her helmet on and rode her bike. She couldn’t pull herself together as tears gather on her eyelids. She put the back of her hands to sweep the tears away, god knows she need not get into an accident just to reach the other side. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Being from Morningside biking to Upper East Side was not something she knew she’ll ever do but here she is. Obsessed with effectively moving her legs to pedal and dodge the traffic so she could reach the other side and confront the other witch.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A memory played in her mind. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie remembered waking up blearily from how loud her alarm is, whining over it. Loud. It wasn’t usual for her to wake up feeling like shit this way. Last night was almost a blur until she remembered some of it. She remembered a promised brunch with Hope, Lizzie, and Penelope. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Immediately, she went to the line of plants on her windowsill. She needed to cure her hangover and she needed to go to the lab first. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After her lab works and meeting her girlfriend outside the TA’s lounge and how she dodges the other girl and making up excuses that Hope insisted on a breakfast exclusive for the four of them, Salvatore alums. She wasn’t sure why she lied to the redhead about how Penelope even extend the invitation to her girlfriend, maybe it’s her selfish whims to have the whole attention of Penelope when she has barely gotten it the night they met again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Then the brunch, how she was so nervous. Hope and Lizzie are not even subtle on the exchanged and thrown looks at her. She knew Lizzie and Hope for all the years after they become friends have always slipped Penelope’s name in passing. She never understood the why but then knowing how the three have been reunited with the witch in France has made the puzzle more clearer.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Until it was too much. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Penelope's real reason for moving away to Europe is to lend a hand to her mother who is hellbent on finding a loophole for the Gemini coven’s archaic ritual. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hearing that, she knew she starts shutting down. The information came in but she never processed it fully. Until she sat back on her desk and going home in her bed in an almost catatonic state because Penelope Park is a huge fucking dumbass for risking her life. She doesn’t even understand her reasoning, liken, she never really did understand why Penelope does things she does. It always a big question mark in her head that she grew accustomed to Penelope’s confusing way of leading life.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Trickles of conversation about their brunch came to her.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“I tracked Caroline down to Moscow that summer after I left school…” </em> </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“Your mom and I became really good friends bonding over the Merge solutions…”</em> </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“I spent most of my days trying to perfectly execute the rituals…”</em> </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“Hope helps and Lizzie mostly became our test guinea pig.”</em> </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“Some days were hard if we’re tracking down some covens because they usually have it out for your mom. She really did a whole mess in central Europe down to near east.”</em> </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, I wasn’t sure you wanted to know…” </em> </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“You seem to shrug my involvement when I tried to help Hope when you got buried in your birthday that I thought not saying anything was the best thing… then I met you with Hope and Lizzie.”</em> </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“I just wanted to clear it all out, you know, don’t get angry because it was all my fault they didn’t tell you… I was afraid you’ll get mad or worst not accept the help that came from me. I mean, you’re pretty mad every time I meddle in your business since we broke up.”</em> </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>“I hope you all the best in life, Jo-Jo.” </em>that was the last thing Penelope said to her, as they went in the opposite direction. Her sister and Hope hailing them a cab while Penelope crosses the street. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She recognized that she’s nearer. She can see the narrow building with protruding conical-shaped for the first three floors, the dark wooden door has a bronze stenciled house number. She parks her bike on the side of the gate and locked it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She doesn’t have a clue on what to say, deep inside her, she knew she wanted to check on Penelope. She wanted to see her healthy and good. She’d seen far too many deaths through her short life that was enough to send anyone to a psych ward, she knew if she sees Penelope in a bad shape it might have caused her a total breakdown. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She walked over to the door, there, a doorbell is situated near an intercom with a camera.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Miss Saltzman?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was a familiar voice, she recognized it easily, a rough husk of Lilian Cusack. Penelope’s personal bodyguard and a werewolf.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah, Lily. I need to speak to Penelope.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m coming down, just wait.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It wasn’t a long wait because before Lily reaches the door she turned around and saw Penelope. She’s in running attire and sweaty, not something she’s used to seeing, because Penelope sweaty means something more like fewer articles of clothing and ragged breaths. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie blinks as she tries to pull her mind off the gutter.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey, Jo-jo…” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie is quick to close the gap between them. She wanted to hug the woman the first time they met, which was weeks ago but she was petrified on the spot.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She remembers the times where she’s being surrounded by Penelope’s warmth. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She easily sinks on Penelope’s, her body is so warm and she can feel the thrumming of pulse, reminding her the witch is pretty much alive. It’s not bad. She told herself over and over again because Penelope is in her arms hot from the run, and she’s breathing fine. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“O— we’re hugging… are you okay?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">she closes her eyes and breathes Penelope in. Somewhat the hug and being surrounded by Penelope is comforting enough to stop herself from panicking. It felt like coming home if her mind just stops fighting her heart.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m fine… I’m ready to talk.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She pulled away, seeing how the smaller woman lifts her brow at her but a small smile is present. Josie doesn't know how long they stared at one another but their moment was broken as Lily coughed behind them.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Miss Saltzman, Miss Pen.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Come in,” Penelope stops, as she easily walked towards the open door, waiting for her, and stared at Lily, “thanks Lil’s.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ll just have a quick shower, I’ll meet you in the office den. Lily, why don’t you entertain Josie.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie watches as Penelope quickly dodge to the elevator while Lily and her took the stairs. The office was on the second floor. Where a small gallery greets them. It’s nice and filled with a collection of paintings -definitely, Penelope's mother's collection- until she’s led to the left and chestnut double doors with intricate carvings and stenciled gold around the frames. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A large room overlooking the tree-lined street with its own fireplace greets her, above the fireplace was a large television. With all the books and the large executive table on the back and multiple seatings near the fireplace, a chess set table near the alcove windows. It looked like a coven gathering area with the herbs and stones that line up the wall. Some witch's tools are even left on the side of a long table. Must be where Penelope entertain witch visitors. At that reminder she felt a prick in her heart, she’s just a witch visitor. A person Penelope conducts business with and irrationally that doesn’t sit right with her.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s nice to see you again, miss Josie,” she smiled at the taller woman. It will always feel weird how Penelope’s family is all about honorific. “Do you like anything to drink?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Just water,” she answered, and she’s left alone. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She sank on one of the plush couches and suddenly the adrenaline she has from talking and biking were seeping out, she also felt hotter for some reason. It’s the biking and the hoodie so she took the hoodie off. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She looked a bit lost and out of place, Penelope’s life is still something she never gotten used to. The witch family is long involved in supernatural politics, it was why the witch was the way she is. It’s all that power struggle inside the world of witch communities that would make you feel too isolated at all times despite being surrounded by everyone. It wasn’t long that Lily returned with a glass of water, a porcelain teapot, and something inside a rolled banana leaf.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s a kind of sticky rice with grated sweet coconut in the middle.” the woman laid the tray in the large squared-sized marbled coffee table, taking the leaf out and the delicacy was laid out perfectly. “Miss Penelope’s in a bit of crazed cooking for the past few days. Stella is still out delivering some of the food she made in the office downtown and to the local soup kitchen.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie knew Penelope, the girl doesn’t cook or even bake unless she needed to relax and think. Penelope has two ways of coping with stress, either she’s coping healthily with cooking and baking or she’s destructive to the point of smoking and drinking non-stop. The drinking however was done alone and far from the eyes of many which was the source of her worry for the girl years ago. Penelope wasn't the kind of girl who gets blackout drunk in the Old Mill parties, the witch oftentimes barely touches her drink and left when the party wanes. Though she always comes to the Old Mill buzzed with weed and whatever herbs the witch think will be a nice combination for her night.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So she’s stress baking and cooking?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah, three days coming, this is the first time she pulls herself together and went out. You know how she is, she always bounces back on the third day.” she smiled, she witnessed Penelope liked this, baking the lower years with tons of cupcakes and cookies due to incoming demonstration for her coven. The coven she never understood because of how secretive they are.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Before she could say something, Penelope entered the room. She’s dressed in a simple white button-down shirt, green tapered chinos, and brogues. The witch looks stunning with light makeup on with her thick-rimmed glasses and her hair down, she felt somewhat underdressed.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">As Josie takes Penelope in, it reminds her of times when things are still good between them. Penelope’s sense of fashion always jarred her. She has these soft and dark academia outfits then there’s the whole I’m a rockstar obsessed with far too expensive leather jackets and vintage rock tees you’ll never know still existed.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her flying mind halted to a stop when Penelope’s voice cut through the silence.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Did you try it already?” there’s an easy smile on Penelope and she wasn’t so sure, she heard Lily excused herself as they’re left alone.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah, it’s tasty sweet. A bit tangy in the middle,” she comments as she slices a small piece to taste it again. One thing though, Penelope is a great cook and baker and she was glad because she couldn’t cook and it fell to Penelope years ago to cook when they tend to forget the time. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah, I was playing with the traditional recipe.” Penelope sat on the other side of the sofa, pulling the steaming tea to pour on a cup. “You want or just water for you?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m okay with tea. You used to hate running…” she comments, Penelope nods.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah, still does but running around Central Park since I’ve been back helped.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I talked to Hope.” she tries to direct the topic to why she’s here. Not really much for subtlety and small talks because she doesn’t know how to act around the witch anymore. Are they friends? Are they acquaintances? Two people, who used to have a past? Something more because she dedicated almost half her life to helping her? She doesn’t know where she stands… and it’s driving her mad.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“She said something about you being back, what really happened, Penelope?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie was once used to Penelope being honest with her that she knew when things shifted between them but filed it on the back of her mind as nothing because goddamnit she was too in love to think much of it. When words start to be phrase differently, now, she can feel that definitely. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m just dealing with coven matters, nothing that you need to worry about.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Really, because Hope said my mother is helping you out, I could also tell witches in New Orleans are helping. So please stop lying to me, not to add your half-sister and aunt are here. Do you really think I’m that naive? Your sister and aunt are your family’s top healers in the Park lineage of geniuses, for Andy and Pan to be in the same State with you… so Pen, how bad is it?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Penelope looked away, she sipped on her tea before looking back at her.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Jo-jo, I— I needed to do something years ago. My problem with my father still remained, you, you needed help, I— I went back to the old world so I could get through one of the family’s ancient rite spells. It involved being suspended to the afterlife for two weeks and three days. It’s coven matter and I don’t need you to worry.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They are in a stalemate, Penelope not wanting her in and her running through the wall because she needed it. It feels like she’s back when they were younger, roadblocks after roadblocks about Penelope’s secrecy on her duties. Though she’s done, she’s done giving space and time to the woman who’s been nothing but dodgy because she just wants some peace, a time for her to start moving forward because for the longest time. She felt stuck, she felt like Penelope has taken her heart and never return it. Even now, she feels that way and she’s over the mess that they are. She couldn’t let her hold her like that while continues keeping her in the dark. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Can we— can you do me a favor and start again?” she pleads, Penelope’s verdant eyes shone compassion. “Can we be friends? Put every teenage angst and drama behind because I’m exhausted, Pen.” her voice cracks, in the end, the fight in her is losing its fiery flame the more she stared at the witch who aged far more beautifully. "I just want honesty, Pen..."</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m always open for a truce, Jo-Jo… you know, I never meant to hurt you… and I don’t want to mess your life anymore. You’ve escaped that life I wouldn’t want to bring it in your front door.” it’s straight to the point, something she craved years ago from the raven-haired witch but she rarely got it. The times she received such words from the witch was the time Penelope loved her, cared about her but despite it, the girl was a huge block of misdirection left and right.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Did you do it because of me?” her voice is small, she’s trying to be unassuming, but underneath she holds her breath waiting for an answer. She knew either way it would break her.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Penelope looked away, when the witch nods, her heart is twisting with pain and confirmation and she could feel the edges of her eyes stinging. If she was asked years ago if leaving her behind was the answer so Penelope could go around the world saving her she would be bloody furious and leaving scorch marks around but everything that’s going on in the school. She chose to keep quiet, she chose to let Penelope go. To let out a half-hearted ‘Penelope, don’t go’ because behind it, she’s terrified of letting Penelope stays, she’s terrified of the threat that looms in the school that she knew it’s better to let Penelope go but knowing the now. The whole contribution of the witch. She wanted to be angry. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She tried to stop the words, she knew it cut them both differently, “I hate you…” she let out a strained gasp and the witch grab her hand, she took it back. Three words mean so much because it meant she’s furious at Penelope. Because she hates Penelope Park for making her worry, for always making her heart thrum with wild abandon, for making her whole world shine brighter and most of all she hates the fact that Penelope is the only one who could break and fix her heart in seconds. She moved nearer to the witch, put her finger up, and trace the faded scar, “How’d you get the scar?” Touching the witch's skin is pure electricity that she needed to pull away immediately.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Jo—“ she could feel a lie coming through by how Penelope’s expression changes, she cut the other witch off.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Just be honest, Penelope and stop downplaying the trials and tribulation you went through just for this stupid Merge to end. Even my mom was never the same and I’d liked to know… I’m done being put in the dark.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She can feel the anger seeping out of her and its molten lava.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“W-we were in the Pyrenees, in the Navarre region when Caroline and I were tracking a nomadic Fagoa Coven, I accidentally slipped, I didn’t saw the large slab of rock, next thing I knew I’m bleeding non-stop. Without much knowledge Caroline and I got hex by Lithos Coven after the damage we caused on their foothold in Algiers about the rare Azarinth plant we needed for the cleansing ritual for the oriental pipe that the Gemini Coven has. We suddenly spent at least two months stop tracking the nomadic coven and caught them in Andorra because you knew how hex work. I was absorbed with lifting the spell with the help of my contacts, especially how dangerous it is for Caroline to go on with that kind of draining you with blood.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“H-How did you—” One thing Josie knew about Penelope is how she's protected with a life-linked protection spell. If harm came to the witch it will transfer to Lilian, because a Park legacy like Penelope means she's put above everyone else.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I've been un-linked with Lily for almost seven years due to the ancient ritual I went through, Stel, however, is a powerful witch who is, luckily, with us when it happened and figure out the hex and performed a complicated spell that put me under to transfer the hex to a nearby creature."</span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie knew the witch in front of her have always two guards accompanying her whenever outside of Salvatore. Lily and Stella. She learned that the alabaster skin witch with the beautiful curls was blind, despite it, she’s a powerful witch warrior and their family have been long indebted to the Parks and serve mostly all their life besides the family. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Caroline’s body reacted differently to the cursed, disabling the used of hex transference spell.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Because mom’s vampirism will—“</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Exactly, it was tricky two months of trying not to draw blood for Caroline until I found a solution but it was excruciating, and as she trusted me to slowly desiccate her, bleeding her to the large thorns of Pyracantha and her blood filtered with the berries and transfusing it back. It was delicate, knowing how dangerous it if the thorn punctures her heart so we dealt it with the help of Thea and Stella.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I didn’t know Stella traveled with you.” she nods, though she knew how wide Penelope’s foresight on certain things, how the girl will always put her play in the first move without anyone seeing the big picture. Always ready for anything. It’s why she admires the witch in the first place. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“She wasn’t always with me, I always have errands for her to fulfill with Lily, we usually met halfway the entire time, however, your mother received a whole spiel about protecting me and if something happened then the whole coven’s wrath will dawn on your mother. It was fun to watch.” she gathers, watching her mother tremble over a blind witch, she’d pay to see it, “Stella being present when it happened was a lucky happenstance.” Penelope said before turning the rings that adorned her hands. “It’s not that bad, Jo-jo… it’s the side effect of the transference spell. I wouldn’t be able to heal the scar magically.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">If that was just because of the spell not working, how much more pain and scars Penelope hides under a healing spell that she wouldn’t know. There’s a deep welling of fears and regrets inside her. The psychological scars that left on the witch's mind. If she just knew, at least she should’ve been there. Should’ve been present because she’ll gladly follow Penelope everywhere especially if it’s a whole quest of helping her. She would've chosen to leave too, though honestly, she wasn't too sure if she will in the earlier year but she would've followed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Then I’d like to help, you did more than enough, for me and Lizzie,”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Jo-Jo… you couldn’t… it involved powerful magic— this, this involved necromancy and theurgy. I— It wasn’t just for you, it’s for my father. I’ve been finding ways to reverse his comatose state and the reason I was needed for this has something to do with the monsters Malivore spit out here. It’s not just Hope who’ve been affected by that. You knew how my coven is like, it’s my family’s problem.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Then tell me because I’m tired, I’m tired of you keeping silent and I’m tired of being blindsided by you.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Penelope looked softly at her but stood up, getting one of the thick leather books on her desk before putting it down next to her. It’s old and made of delicate papyrus, she could see the edges.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You know, the first subject to learn in any witch school…” she nods, in Salvatore the first subject you learn as a witch is Hermetic Witch History that discussed and dates back to the first witch in the world. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Our family lineage is connected to Hecate, like think why Andy established the coven group in Salvatore. I know the greeks fucked up the version and took the name and run on with it but our family originated in Anatolia where she fell in love with a fallen god but before that for millions of years Hecate traveled the world with the first Lycan, her brother, eradicating the world of the earliest rabid vampires, it was a tasked given to her by the powerful deities, they were what we called bless by gods. It’s why we’re considered purebred. Everyone in the family is born with potent magic coursing our veins. You’ve always wondered how I could practically do a powerful spell alone and not end up killing myself, well, it’s because of our bloodline.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She heard this story far too many times that she knew what it was… it was a long debate between them. How Penelope insisted that the Origin of species that her father wrote was wrong and how Penelope will pick ancient Chinese scrolls to the ancient tablet that shows text or images where vampiric god roams the world that turns mortal into rabid kind of vampires. It was considered a plague for a village or civilization back to the ancient world. The tablet dating back five thousand years ago, pre-dating the Mikaelson’s. Reminding her of Chaldeans relics that her father acquired from the Armoury. Alaric postulates that somewhere along the road, the loss of ancient practices due to the ostracisation of witch communities created a chasm within each other, to go underground and not acknowledge their gift. Every Wiccan schools around the world have been so secretive that it took a lot of support from Nola witches and from the St. John’s, and aunt Bonnie’s to put on the curriculum needed for Salvatore supernaturals. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Isn’t the necklace of eo stabilized you?” she asked, getting the hint that the problem lies in Penelope’s getting out of control for her magic. She knew about some of the witch talismans and what it meant, their relationship doesn't just involve emotions but they've been partners on spell practicing for almost two years since they knew each other. She learned a thing or two about her coven.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You know how it also amplifies?” she nods, “It’s causing a disruption to the suppressive sigils.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">At that, she listens to Penelope’s tales and her current struggles.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2">***</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie was glad, that Penelope was being open to her. The witch always has some sort of filter whenever she talked about her coven, realizing that the only reason Penelope spoke so little about them was due to the fact that people knowing their real origins means a huge target on their back will lighten more within the witch communities and outside. The Park enemies are already far too many, adding the fact that they descended to the first witch will just end in chaos. Knowing the grimoires of the first witch was a goldmine that everyone will target to attack.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Do you see the problem?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Does my mother know that your unstable magic is due to the power of the first witch and the blood of the gods are activated in you?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Your mom knew, we pretty had a lengthy conversation about it the first few weeks I transported her to the past. Opening the reality that the Park’s are time and dimensional witches. It’s the only reason why we’re not under the law of nature whenever we cut through spaces. Remember, how I told you never to attempt the traveling spell I taught you when we were teens without my magic?” Josie nods, remembering the time under the dark sky. Harnessing the new moon and Penelope’s magic run through her vein. The palpable power she felt whenever she siphons off Penelope. She reddens, puts her mind back to what Penelope was saying. “Though under everything we’re subjected to all the rules.” Josie knew how Penelope could just pull everything out of thin air, cutting through dimensions are not unheard but it normally has sort of consequences, most witches stay away from the business of time and dimensions, the occasional prolonging witches life is okay but messing with time in a large scale of things was always frown upon. As for dimension travels the normal consequences of apple becoming rotten or body suffering some sort of inflicted pain if the pot exchanged is not the same, Penelope continues, “Hope, Freya and the Garden District elders that belongs to the Devin’s are the only ones who knew in New Orleans. Lizzie knew I’m in danger to siphon like her because I have suppressive magic running through my body but not the whole reason. The Order doesn’t know about my problem and they just think that my Aunt is still in power is the reason why I’m merely operating in the background.”</span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie took the story in, she has long forgotten how this feels. How a lot of things are happening at once because for the last year she’s been living in bliss ignorance, trying not to be bothered by the constant end of the world shit happening that needed Hope’s help. Too focused on her human life not thinking much of the supernatural world.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She recognized the saying even in Latin.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>ordo domini temporis ad he solanum</em> </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A pledge she took when she was fourteen.  </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It’s been years since she reached out to the Order since Penelope left… that part of her where she thrives for knowledge and magical experience has been extinguished too. The only time she felt like her life was going back led her to a dark path that she was constantly checking herself.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How are you, Jo-jo?” Josie pulled away from reminiscing of the darkest times she had. It’s a simple question but as she looked at Penelope. She knew what it all means, it doesn’t mean the usual question.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The raven-haired witch asked her the night they hang out briefly outside of the club. In the alleyway where Penelope’s sports coupe were parked, she chided the way the witch returned on her old ways at first. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She learned when she was younger that, the witch hated the crowd despite her being the life of the party, and turned to smoke marijuana to dampen the chatter. So she knew where to find the woman when she slipped out of the room where Pax with some of his VIP friends joined them in the private room. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When asked, she knew underneath the normal question is meant differently. A question of how she really is right now, not the mundane feeling in her life but how she really feels about all the things that were revealed. It's Penelope's way of making sure she's alright, it seems like the sensitivities that the witch hasn't changed.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She looked at Penelope, the green eyes that used to show so much with just a look now feel more blanketed to be unreadable. Though she experienced those eyes over the crowds, meeting and realizing that those eyes entail trouble. Her succumbing to the nearest hidden spot to meet each other, god, they were so reckless back then. She was, in a way that the smaller girl makes her blood course inside her veins with heady want. It’s a certain hold Penelope has on her that she never understood, there’s just somewhere along those first two years of meeting the girl where she lay claim of her heart and she freely gave it just to be crushed and left her hollowed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She grabs her glass of water and drink. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How’d you think?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I dropped something big. I knew how you need time to process but I also know how bad you cope.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I guess I’m not the only one coping, is it?” she eyed the girl before darting at the served food. Penelope's eyes twinkle before throwing her head back with a laugh and putting her hand in front of her mouth. It’s classic Penelope, her posh upbringing shining through.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“You got me there, Jo-jo. I never thought Lily would tell you…” there’s the eyes she misses and the small upturned of her lips that means Penelope’s next words are embarrassingly bothering, “…though I admit, in all the relationships I had. She always has a soft spot for you… however, my stressor was more about coven-related issues. Now, Jo-jo… </span>I'm sorry-" Josie could see the regret again, it's the same face Penelope sport when that morning for brunch. It was new, Penelope apologizing.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"<em>Pen,</em> I forgive you... it was a long time... I just— you should've told me or reach out." she shifted her eyes before continuing, "For the longest time, I feel lost, I guess, I was waiting for something. For you to reach out because for years I questioned everything about us.” Penelope couldn’t look at her, so she continued. The weeks after Penelope’s departure playing on her mind. The utter heartbreak and just wishing to hear Penelope’s voice again, unearthing old archives Instagram video post that she saved where Penelope’s voice rang so she wouldn’t forget her voice, “I called, for weeks but you never bother to return it, I knew looking for you through magic is pointless. But you block everything. digital or magical.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"I guess I was afraid of seeing you," vulnerability is etched on Penelope. "The last few months of my stay in Salvatore, you, constantly rejecting me got to me badly. If I were being honest, I knew it was my fault... but it still hurts. So I put you in the back of my mind, telling myself, it's better this way." Josie wanted to get mad over Penelope's reasoning but she couldn't, it was acceptable. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2">She knew she drove the stick over and over to Penelope that time, but it was petty revenged because she felt betrayed and discarded. The reality that she was so blind to see the other side of it made it more complicated and Penelope just up and left without much of a way to contact her made it more painful.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2">"I'm sorry too..." She turned her head away, she couldn't look at Penelope as tears start to well out of her.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2">"We were young, Jo-Jo... I fully deserved it."</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2">She wanted to argue because she knew it wasn't the case.  "I wanted you back the time I read your letter, I knew I wanted you back even before but then you said what I'm thinking. The attacks on the school, I knew I couldn't hold you back when there's a school somewhere where you'll be safe and it's why I'm angry and hurt and confused right now because you should've told me. You should've told me your real plan, that you never fully attend the witch-school in person but did the online curriculum and you went with my mom to god knows where... where you constantly risk yourself..."</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2">"I know, I'm sorry, it's my biggest flaw, taking everything by my own hands because I'm afraid of causing more damage to people around me," Penelope tilts her head, she looks at the green orbs and felt herself tears springing out, Penelope wipes the tears away, "you went through so much, Jo. I couldn't disrupt your life anymore."</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2">"And that's why I hate you, you always try to decide for things, you always said you wanted me to choose what I want but you never did give it to me whenever it comes to decisions like this." anger is bubbling inside her again and she could see Penelope breathing hard. "You always take everything in your own hands and I never liked it, Penelope."</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2">"Your anger is valid, it's the reason..."</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2">"No, you don't understand, Pen! You don't understand, I hate you for doing this!" </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2">"What do you want me to do? I'll do anything? I want to start over again, Josie... The 'put everything behind' you told earlier. I'm ready for that."</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It starts like that… Penelope knowing how to appease her and work her like a violin. Her day ending with her filling in the weeks she had, even the rising frustrations over her work have been brought up as Lily brought them more food and drinks. She went home with Lily driving her back with her bike to her dorm building late that night while her girlfriend was in the stoop carrying a bouquet of daisies because of course, she fucking forgot that it was their anniversary. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The day last year where there was a celestial event and where she ended up watching the meteor shower with Marcella. As a big fuck you to the universe and where Marcella asked her to be official girlfriends.</span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">Right now, at this moment though. She felt like she's been the most insensitive person for not realizing what today is. </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. and who’ll keep you warm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I was thinking of finishing "I Know I'm Never Gonna Love Again" first before this but I'm like... a mess when I try to make plans. So here I am, updating this. So yeah, if you all want a much in-depth background with everything. Read that first followed by: "We Should Leave Our Lovers"</p><p>these stories are all connected.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie quickly bade goodbye to Lily as she rushed to her girlfriend while she walked with her bike on her side.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey,” she gave a quick one-hand hug and a kiss to the cheek while she balances the bike on the other. She can feel how the other girl was so stiff that Josie hesitantly pulled away, studying the woman and she can see an unreadable expression, “I’m sorry.” she knew it’s already unforgivable to think that she forgets. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I called you a thousand times, you never answered,” Marcella says, her voice cold as ice. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She doesn’t have an excuse for that. How she just up and left, her phone and wallet forgotten back in her dorm because she’s been rushing to see Penelope.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah, I— I forgot my phone at the dorm.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Here,” the girl gave her the bouquet of colorful daisies but with hydrangeas and peonies. Her girlfriend gets her, the redhead knew she’s not much into the cliche bouquet of roses and made sure to get her colorful flowers including her favorite in it whenever. “I asked you yesterday if it’s okay to take you out for dinner, you said yes, Jo,” Marcella sigh, “…and I found out you weren’t even here.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah, about that, something came up.” it’s the truth something came up however her tongue taste so bitter as the words rolled out of her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Something came up?” Josie knew there’s an accusing edge on Marcella’s tone,it’s slicing and she doesn’t really have an excuse to forgot or bail but for weeks she’s been distracted that she didn’t even remember agreeing to a date. “The tall blonde?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s Lily, uh— she’s— a friend.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I know who the woman is. Newsflash, Josie, I’m aware of the supernaturals especially influential witches in the community… that werewolf is Lillian Cusack, Penelope Park’s shadow.” she should’ve known Marcella knew because of course, she remembered the night the two met and how Marcella was starstruck upon seeing her ex. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ve been thinking for weeks. Waiting for an explanation because you’ve been spacing out and most times you’re so out of the loop since you had that brunch with your sister and former schoolmates. So—“ </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her girlfriend is losing her composure, and she doesn’t need the weird looks that they’re getting. Stopping Marcella’s outburst by holding her wrist with a light squeeze followed by a pleading look.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Can we do this upstairs,” she asked softly to the strawberry-blonde as the woman’s voice is going an octave higher as she iterates all her grievances since the past weeks. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie heads to the main door and pushes it, she can feel a huffing redhead behind her but she tried not to mind. It’s late, as the person in the reception was already the night shift, she nods at him and proceeds to the service elevator. Her room was on the third floor so it wasn’t a long wait but the atmosphere is tense. She knew even her hold to the flowers are too tight because she’s racking her brain on how she would explain this and looking for an excuse but there’s nothing coming up in her mind.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She knew what she needed to do. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tell the truth. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But why does it feel liked it lodged in her throat, refusing to spill? </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The ping of the elevator stopping on her floor put her out of her reverie. She pushes the bike out and turned to the right where the first door is, she was able to grab her keycard and keys but forget her phone. What a mess she made really.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She put the flowers on the small table she had and mount the bike back to the wall, she can hear the pattering of Marcella’s feet and the cushion sound on the pink loveseat near her desk. She went to the bathroom and grab the vase under her sink and put some water and took the wrapping off the flowers and put it on the vase before settling it to the middle of her small coffee table across her Marcella is seated on the loveseat.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So will you ever talk? What got you this…” she watched as Marcella gesture her, the witch looked in pain or maybe disappointed, “you’re clearly out of your wits, Jo.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah, I’m sorry…” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t need your constant apologies, Josie, I need to know what’s going on because certainly there is,”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I just learned that Penelope helped with the Merge!” Josie knew she doesn’t mean to raise her voice but the poking on her was too much and her mind is still a mess and she doesn’t even know how to explain everything to the woman in front of her because of Penelope, Penelope is always complicated. Their relationship after the breakup has been a complicated mess that she wouldn’t even know how to explain everything. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re losing sleep because Penelope Park helped?” there’s an unbelievable looked on her girlfriend, a scrunched forehead. “Their coven helps witches around, what’s the big deal?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s complicated, Mar…” because it is, Penelope is always complicated. People always comment on her ex and their relationship but no one knew how it is. Only the two of them knew how even if they’re broken up or just friends, there’s still something there. As if something lit that fire between them and it never wanes but it’s complicated because they hurt each other too much, still they gravitated with each other. It’s like they couldn’t stay away from one another when they are in the same space. She doesn’t know how to explain that because the feelings are indescribable for her to talk about. Even her twin sister for the longest time didn’t understand it until Penelope left. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How is the darling ambassadress of the east coast and midwest witcheshelping you and your twin complicated when you two went to school together at some point?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Because she’s my<em> first girlfriend</em> who broke up with me because of the stupid Merge and who spent months messing with my life and then left after telling me she loves me over a fucking letter! Penelope Park is my first love and it’s complicated and I don’t know what to feel since I saw her three weeks ago then add to the fact that the next days she told me she helped my mom for years, and my best friend knew even my sister who used to hate her so bad! SO yeah, I’m losing sleep over it because I’m trying to wrap my head over the messed up situation that I’m in.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You and Penelope?” well, it's not a surprise that it was the thing that sticks to her girlfriend's mind.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah,” she sounds defeated. Josie isn’t even sure why. "We're exes."</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“…and you never told me?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Because we never talked about my exes.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Because I’m waiting for you to share, god knows I shared my past flings even my first relationship back in High School.” she darts her eyes, there’s fury behind Marcella’s cerulean eyes that she'd rather not meet head-on. She always knew when to pick her battle and right now, she knew she'd rather cave if she still wants a girlfriend at the end of the night.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I—"</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No, Josie, you continued to keep me at arm’s length…”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s not true!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You do! Whenever you’re in a tough spot you never bother to seek my help,you’d either asked for help from people who are totally on the other side of the world or call your friends who are in your school in Mystic Falls instead of coming to me and I don’t know why but I guess maybe be—“</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Don’t— Mar— don’t finish that sentence because that’s not true.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Not true? Then what am I really to you?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re my girlfriend and I love you…” Josie doesn’t know when she started getting careless and throw the words around. When she never uttered those three words that carelessly to anyone. Maybe because she’s in a losing battle and she wouldn’t know how to fix this. She knew the words didn’t help, the fissure between them remains and it continually lengthens as she continually answers all the wrong things. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yet I don’t feel like a girlfriend to you since I don’t even get to hear from you constantly. Like how you spent months keeping from me that your mom and Hope, o wait— Penelope and co. came up with the solution for the merge and if it wasn’t for the fact that there’s a big celestial event this night last year I wouldn’t know.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Mar—“ Josie closed her eyes as she tilts her head to the ceiling, walking in circles in the small space. “Please, It’s—“</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Maybe you need space because—“</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No, Mar… please… can we just talk… I— please don’t leave me.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie always has a hard time when conflict and confrontation happened, and when people seem to give up on her, a reminder of the cracks she tries to cover up sprang up and a glaring reminder that she’s not really completely healed, lurking at her, taunting her about how people leave her behind. Seeing how ready Marcella is to leave, is emotionally despairing.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Josie, we’ve known each other for years but you never try to let me in and I understand, a lot of your past is hard to look back to but seeing how hung up you still are. Maybe it’s—“</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I just did, Mar! I went to Penelope’s and talked… if you just let me explain.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Okay, explain.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">So Josie starts with the truth, how she spent years of trying to move on, how she’s always eager to put Penelope behind but ended up feeling empty instead because her heart isn’t the same after Penelope left her shattered and broken. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“For years, I’ve spent my time trying to fill a void left by her, tried dating, repressing the feelings I had for her, until you…. You’re the first person I’ve really tried with Mar. So please, please… I’m sorry… let me do better.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie wanted to elaborate how she’s so eager to move forward, to Hope, to Landon, Jade, Finch but decided to just spare the other girl about her failed relationships but glossed it over to the fact that Penelope was her first in everything. So she talked about the present and how they were when they first met and when Penelope left and how betrayed she felt knowing her sister and Hope knew. She also told her that they are trying to have some sort of clean-slate, put everything behind but the truth is, being caught in Penelope’s orbit is dangerous and complicated and she knew she couldn’t risk it with Marcella around but she also couldn’t leave or abandon Penelope, not now. When the witch needed help so Josie did try her best to explain. She sat crosslegged in front of her girlfriend, telling her about their past.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Trying to explain and assured her girlfriend that they’re not going back together but they will definitely be in each other life especially she has asserted her resolved to Penelope this night on helping her about some magical dilemma that Penelope caught herself in.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m sorry, I know this night is about us and I forgot about it.” she clasped both Marcella’s hands, using her thumbs to soothe the redhead. “I’m swamped with everything, and Hope dropped that on me and I knew I just needed to check. I forgot the time as we catch up.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie tried to discern what her girlfriend was thinking, the tight-lipped and expressionless face of Marcella is throwing her into a panic. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Please, say… something…” she kisses her girlfriend’s hand. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t know, Jo… the way you told me, you and Penelope seems to have some—“</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No, I know… but, Mar. I’m choosing you. I know, I know what I had with Penelope seems intense and all but it was in the past. I told her time and time again we’re never getting back together. There’s just too much history you know…” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Does she know that?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Penelope is not here to win me back, we’ve been over for seven years, Mar. I don’t think you can come back from that.” It’s true, however, she wants the story to be different. Penelope and Josie have been over and that was what’s upsetting for weeks. The could have been was eating her but she knew she can’t dwell on that. She needed to move on, for years, all she thought was the reason she seems stuck was that Penelope left her high and dry. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m just upset that my sister, my best friend, and my mom lied to me…”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The words are practically a mantra on her mind for the past few weeks. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">***</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie has passed out sleeping on her desk, dinner was forgotten as work consumed her. Finishing the logs that were left in her care as her boss flew to Chicago for a two days symposium over alternative cell splicing techniques that can help to eradicate malignant brain tumors in a non-invasive way. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She ended up staying in the lab, forgetting to eat with a lack of sleep. She’s sure after downing 6 mugs of bitter coffee she’d been up until three, but as she looked around on her desk, she’s proud over the stack of papers she finished. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><br/>
She’s done stretching her back and arms, pulling the lab coat over herself, feeling how cold the room is when the lab door with the restricted key card opened. She squints her eyes and looked at her watch. She can smell coffee as the person balance the tray of coffee and untangling whatever it is that’s hindering the other person to be in her view.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When the figure came to view, Josie is quick to stand and meet the person halfway.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How did you get in?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She sounds alarmed, as she takes Penelope Park in. The woman is in her leather jacket, gilded with some gold and studs and faded blue jeans, a helmet on the other hand, and a paper bag. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hi,” Penelope smiled at her, pushing the coffee in her hand. “Morning to you too, Jo-jo…”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Morning—“ she sounds confused, “how— how did—“</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Penelope moved inside, studying the cold lab. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We fund most research in your department Josie.” The witch move near the stainless steel stool, pulling it out and sitting down. “You look rough,”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thanks for noticing, I’m going home, what are you doing here?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Andy summoned me, she’s down under your lab. I got her card.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Andy has high clearances but she wasn’t really sure why Penelope invade her working space. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I got you your almond honey flat white,” she walks and accepted the coffee. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I was surprised that people are able to summon you,” Josie let out the comment without much thought until it completely out her mouth. Her cheeks reddening on how she still knows the girl, Penelope chuckled.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Jo-jo it’s ten in the morning.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A small smile played in her lips as she turned around to usher the other woman in the steel long table, remembering that Penelope will always skip morning assembly because of the witch blight reasoning; <em>Jo-jo, my sleep is far more important than your father’s incessant holier-than-thou preaching about some rules broken by some peasant this weekend.</em> How she’ll slip out of the girl’s room in the early hour of the morning and how even if she tried to push Penelope to wake up the witch will pull her in and—</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Before Josie can lose herself over the memory, she cleared her throat, sipping the coffee. It tastes like home, like the coffee shop she used to go to in Mystic Falls whenever she had her breakfast with Penelope every Saturday morning, and when Penelope push a small paper bag. She put the coffee on the table and look at the content of the paper bag. The bagel sandwich is a confirmation to her that the coffee and the food came from Mystic Falls.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You got me bagel and coffee at Ancient Sip?” Josie looked bewildered but she bites on the bread and maybe she did miss her hometown. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I guess I did…” Penelope scrunches her nose in that cute way she does and she’s glad despite all the changes that she saw from the witch since they reconnect; something remains. Penelope tore the small paper and smile at her before eating her own bagel. The silence lingers as they consumed the breakfast Penelope brought in with her.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She wasn’t sure about the whole gesture, they just reconnected three days ago when she barges on Penelope’s front door.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Is it weird?” Josie looked to her side waiting for the witch to continue, Penelope is sipping from her cup of straight drip coffee. “Getting you breakfast and visiting you?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No, You’ve always been unpredictable…” Josie honestly answer. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I was thinking of having breakfast with my mother but Andy summoned me and now she’s on her way to London.” Penelope starts, her instinct to reach over and comforts Penelope halted when she realized what she was doing. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Pen—“ she exhaled, “how’s your mom?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Same old, same old…” Penelope let out a slight chuckle. “…she’s much busier… Mbah and Nan passed away two years ago.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie gasped, her head filling up with questions. She knew Penelope is much closer to her grandparents on her mother's side despite being a Park.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It was quick, brain aneurysm, grandmother followed shortly after, I guess Nan couldn’t continue living without Mbah,” she watched as Penelope tried to act nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders and pushing the pain downwards. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m so sorry, losing them consecutively, I knew how much you love them, Pen…” Josie put her hand on Penelope’s shoulder, squeezing it tightly. “I know it’s not fine… Do you want to talk about it?” she knew the subject is sore and Penelope has always wanted to remain composed.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It's not something to feel bad about, our family doesn’t believe that death is the end yet I feel much colder since they passed… I guess it’s because my grandmother is not a witch and my grandfather having been born without magic due to a curse in their male line in his coven, just makes me feel disconnected from them. Overall, I think, I’m getting there. They lived a long fulfilled life. I should be proud of them.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie knew no amount of words from the twenty-six letters alphabet is enough to placate the void that the witch is feeling. She remembered the nights the two of them will spend under the moonlight or even on Penelope’s bed and the witch will share anecdotes or stories she had of her grandparents. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah, I might have blocked out everything that has to do with you and despite Jed coming around at school. We barely catch up to know about how your grandparents are doing.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s okay Jo—“</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I mean, he tried you know… your cousin tried reaching out but I’m—“ Josie is struggling to articulate all her thoughts. How she tried to erase everything that has to do with Penelope, how she makes herself scarce whenever Jed tried to reach out. The wolf even with his knuckle-headedness at times has always been loyal to Penelope despite not knowing everything. Doing everything Penelope asked him to do, no question asked yet when they broke up. The wolf easily turned to dislike her until their last years together but she remained bull-headed, not wanting to talk about Penelope.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Have you visited?” Josie asked instead. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Religiously,”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She smiled, it’s one thing that not many people knew about Penelope. Despite the icy exterior she’s a total softie to her loved ones, a caring person to the young kids, and will take anyone under her wing, she’s compassionate to the weak, young, and helpless despite her cynical view of the world. She’s hard yet she’s soft, strong yet pliable, difficult yet lenient and she’ll fully accept you for who you are.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I went here because Andy said you are still here, and I thought instead of thinking about my mother jetting somewhere else, I’d bring you breakfast. A quick spell to go to Mystic Falls near martin and main street and got these bad boys.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I thought you hated Mystic Falls?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I do but it also contains the happiest moments in my life, so do I, really?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie blushed, she diverts her eyes off the gleaming green orbs and focused on her coffee. Penelope scrunches her nose, “Too real?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’ve never been one to really hold back,” she stammered out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m sorry, maybe I—“</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s okay, Pen… it’s not a problem… Thank you, I miss these too.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie knew she’s hiding the fact that she misses the old routines she had with Penelope, not just the food, but she wouldn’t say it out loud. Not now that she fixed her relationship and she can stay friends with Penelope. The last thing she needed is to blur the lines between them when she’s supposedly moved on from the dark-haired witch. But how does one move on from someone like Penelope? Who done nothing but loved her whole-heartedly and passionately? Before she got lost in the conundrum that her mind consistently supplicates, she focuses more on the present.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">So they hang out, finished their coffee, and push the building menace of thoughts in the darkest corner of her mind. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Spending time with the witch is something else, she felt renewed again. It’s like years of moving around with your half missing and now they are back to finishing each other’s sentence.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Until the doorbell buzzed. She put her hand up and excused herself to go and see who is on the other side.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie closes her eyes and stops before opening the door because she can see over the peephole that it’s Marcella. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She glances at Penelope who is flicking through the pages of a science journal in the table before opening her door. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey,” she plastered a huge smile while her girlfriend grins back at her, pulling her down for a quick kiss. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hi,” Marcella said after letting her go, “I heard you’re still here… wow, smell like someone brought good coffee in here.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah, come in, I— I have company though,”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, Dr. Pong is back?” Marcella asked, before showing her a cup of Sencha she always has and a small paper bag containing her to-go breakfast. “I got your favorites.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No,” she bit her lip, opening the door wide so her girlfriend could enter. “Penelope drops by and brought breakfast,” Marcella's brow raised but didn’t comment as she walks inside. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Maybe it wasn’t her best move, sharing the same space with her girlfriend and ex-girlfriend because as she closes her door and the thud can be heard, she can feel how tense the atmosphere became. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey, Penelope…” Marcella said, Penelope, lift her head from whatever article she was reading, flashing a faltering smile at Marcella before glancing at Josie.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey, Morning,”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“Same, I brought Josie her favorite but she said she has already eaten,” it sounds accusatory for her taste that </span> <span class="s1">Josie walked closer to her girlfriend, Penelope just raised her brow at her, questioning her when she wasn’t aware of how to deescalate whatever this is.</span></p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I— Yeah, I was down at my sister lab and I heard Josie hasn’t left, I hope you don’t mind. I didn’t mean to ruin your breakfast or anything.” Penelope starts gathering her things, the raven-haired witch is miff by the passive-aggressiveness that Marcella is displaying, the dark-haired girl grabs her helmet that she put on the long table. “I better go…” Josie studies the girl, she knew Penelope's attitude, and dismissing people like this is always her route.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No, don’t go…” Marcella requested and Penelope looked at the redhead. “It’s not a bother really, It would be nice to know you more and Josie said she is helping you with coven matter.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Penelope squints her eyes at Josie accusingly, she didn't really divulge the sensitive information that Penelope shared, knowing how delicate it was for the witch communities to know that the great Park heir is struck with some kind of ailment. Josie gave Penelope an assuring smile, telling the raven-haired without many words that her secret is safe.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, yeah, that, this reminds me,” Penelope smile, pulling an envelope from the air. “Here, Jo-jo… you two… you can go. My aunt is holding a banquet now that the summer equinox has passed. Witches outside of our coven are invited to the banquet. It’s an honor of my return overseas…” Penelope tilts her head up to look at Josie properly, “you know how aunt Astra is,” Josie nods, fully understanding the situation. Despite the internal affairs of Penelope’s family and how much they irritate Penelope because of how demanding they are, there is only one person that Penelope couldn’t really disobey. It’s Astra Park. The current matriarch of the family and the coven leader of Divine Twilight.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Your aunt is throwing you a welcome party?” she laughs.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah, she thinks I’m burying myself with work, for all intent and purposes, it’s just to established that I’m back overseas and to show power from the whole east coast and midwest…” Penelope said honestly, it doesn’t escape Josie how Marcella’s jaw clenched at the mention. “Anyways, I leave you two, lovers… but Josie,” Penelope stood once again but her eyes intently looking at her. “Thanks for breakfast and I’m sorry Marcella, I didn’t mean to intrude with your morning…”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s fine,” Marcella said, her voice cold and even Penelope noticed. She looked at Josie and sighing as she walks to the door. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">***</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie looks at the invitation… reads the same letter and seeing the Park emblem and the venue. It’s the hotel in Midtown, the one next to the glaring tall glass building of Park tower… and it’s three days from now. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You up for some dressing up?” she smiled at her girlfriend to manage the cold atmosphere that enveloped the space more when Penelope left and showing the smaller girl the invitation.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sure,” Marcella answered, “…she moves fast…”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Mar, it’s not—“ </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Josie, she definitely is in love with you.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie stops, she pulled a deep breath and trying to calm herself over the sound of Marcella’s voice; how she spit the words out and how her body reacts differently on the assumption. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You don’t know her, Mar… Penelope’s… Penelope’s like that… she’s not doing this because she wants something. She’s just trying to show me she cares, she just got back from years of traveling from Europe. I bet she wanted to reconnect to people who she knew here. Can you let go of your suspicion at least for a little,” she sighed as she gets to her desk… putting her things back in her bag as she knew she’s done for the day and she needed a shower and a real bed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">On Marcella’s mind. She knew she lost Josie already. She can’t compete with that and she knew when to rest her case, even if how stubborn Josie feels about this.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">***</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie is listening to cigarettes after sex when a certain song played… she’s suddenly thrown back to her awkward fifteen-year-old lanky self and her first time with the witch that keeps on intruding on her thoughts. She almost fell out of the bed when her twin appears in front of her that made her shout in surprise.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“ELIZABETH JENNA SALTZMAN!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Dearest sister…” she’s still holding her chest and her face red drenched from the memory and the rude awakening she went through when her sister suddenly appears, she quickly turns the music down. “Ohhh, Josette…” she turned her attention to her blonde twin. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yea?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Did I walked on something? Some lusty daydreaming, perhaps?” Lizzie asked with her knowing smug smile that made Josie grab her pillow and throw it at her sister. God. She really hates how Lizzie always pulls through her like this.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She reddens but quickly shakes her head no, “Okay, well… I just got off my class… It’s 8 pm in Paris right now and Hope has this meeting with someone and I’ve given you weeks of space, I couldn't continue doing this, this is the longest I hold myself in and Hope isn’t here to make me shut up so I’m like can we eat and goss on the huge elephant in the room?” her sister dramatically gesticulates her hands as the blonde sat in the pink chair. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I just ate?” she looked at the clock, “Like three hours ago…”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ugh, Jo— please. Get your charm bracelet and let’s go,” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Fine, well,” she starts to push herself out of the bed, got the gold wristband magic infused and magic a quick outfit, and her sister hums in approval before holding out her hands for her sister to take…</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I knew this seafood place in Jersey…”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re literally draining Hope with this transcontinental spell you’re doing,” she comments, her sister just rolled her eyes before looking at her with contemptuous glee. She knew whatever comes next she'll either bleach herself.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“She’s a tribrid, she can always take it.” she almost pukes over her sister's vulgarity to other things but grabs her hands and they began the chant. Not willing to really get on with Lizzie's nauseating sex life with a tribrid. They're twins but she never intends to know whatever they do even though they promised years ago that there will never be secrets with them. The blonde broke that code far too many times for her to be upfront with her over this.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">***</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Penelope was in the lab, earlier…” she starts, they’ve already ordered and chatted about Lizzie’s finals at her school. The blonde quirk an eyebrow, but kept silent. Josie proceeds to continue with the story as a comment hangs in the silence between them with her sister's expressionless face. “She brought me coffee and breakfast bagel… from our usual Saturday brunch place in Mystic Falls. It was nice but then I feel really guilty after because Marcella came with brunch and Sencha.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Lizzie sighs. It’s the first time Lizzie really reacts to her story so she darts her eyes down at the table, not wanting to see how disappointed Lizzie would be about this. The table has fresh seafood and seaweed that her sister ordered while she settled for the baked clams and the cajun styled prawns and the buttery corn. She specifically said that she’s allergic to seaweed and not to put any on her servings. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re still in love with Penelope, however way you put it… however, you’re still stuck at sixteen, too afraid to try again because getting heartbroken by her is the worst thing you ever felt.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She knew it’s coming, her sister's input will always be there. So she tries to focus more on the breeze, the cloudy sky. The sea breeze is lulling her to stop fixate too much on her sister because even she is not in the mood to process the things that happened since she turned twenty-three. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She sighed. Instead of giving an answer, she talked about other things. They catch up on what’s happening on her side, on Lizzie’s as they consumed the food and the whole bottle of wine. Her tongue becoming far more looser than her twin.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Do you really intend to pass up an opportunity of talking to me about Penelope? Now that she’s in my good side of the book?” Lizzie's eyes glint with sassiness.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie breathes out. Watching the few seagulls before answering truthfully.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s just nothing seems to compare to her, Liz…” somewhat, it’s easier to take in air and her chest seems lighter as she let the word out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Duh, as much I still think it’s revolting of you, even Hope,” Lizzie rolled her eyes, and made a mouth, “to like her…” Josie just chuckled as a new bottle of wine was served to them. “I mean, yeah, I see it. She’s hot, infuriatingly always right, belongs from a powerful witch-line. Even Hope was practically in love with her at some point, and you, my dear sister have always been her soft spot. So it’s a two-way street. Why are you so afraid of trying again? Do you really want to settle with healer witch?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie has no answer to that, but what surprised her was Lizzie knew about Hope. Knowing how territorial her sister is. She isn’t sure how Hope or Penelope dealt with jealous Lizzie. But before she got lost in thinking about that dynamic for the few years that they’ve worked together Lizzie came with the crushing question that has been swirling in her mind.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Are you really that afraid of real happiness, Jo?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s not just up to me, Lizzie… Penelope…” she breathes out before meeting Lizzie’s eyes, “Penelope is not the same. She’s not the same girl I’ve fallen in love with. She’s not the same reckless, intelligent scheming young girl I met in secret to practice magic. She’s not the same girl who will give me half-truths or will protect me with her words. She—“ Josie looked at her hand. Remembering they talked a few days ago.“She changed, Liz. She’s far more forthcoming and I’m so scared, so scared on how she was willing to lay down every wall because it reminds me of the night she confessed to me and how it got tainted a year after.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t understand, Josie…” her eyes are pleading for her sister to understand but Lizzie just looked at her blankly, when she felt water accumulating in her eyes but she looks up and blinks them away.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The thing that has been eating her for days.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her girlfriend is safe while Penelope, Penelope is a pure wildfire that will consume her if she accepts it again. Not to add that she is also scared. Scared of how she needed to really work on the relationship. Because despite everything, Penelope and she have so much more to work on, and the only thing she could see right now. Is for them to work as friends. To heal the rift between them by genuine friendship, to repair the trust they burnt down years ago. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We weren’t slow when we were younger…”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Jo— are you fucking kidding me?” she looked at her sister a bit confused while Lizzie ran her fingers through her platinum blonde, frustration seeping out of her twin. “You’ve danced around each other for a year… before becoming a thing. You don’t need slow anymore, sis… If I’m being honest, I think this has more to do with you hurting Marcella.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Josie gulps the remaining wine in her glass. Trying to stop the shudder that she felt upon her sister’s accusation.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Josette, what happened to 'putting your happiness first'…” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How are you so sure that my happiness resides with being with Penelope?” she asked. “Isn’t trying to be friends and helping each other be enough?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“But the thing Jo, is… you two are never over. You are deceiving yourself and stringing Marcella along, not to add, hurting Penelope in the process too.” she quirks her brow. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?” she asked, “Penelope doesn’t love me anymore…” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“God, then you’re the biggest idiot of all.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Liz…”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2">Lizzie puts her hands together, clasping them together as if asking some guidance from the great beyond on what she will say next, so Josie waits. Lizzie breathes in and out before she smiles so sweetly at the brunette.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Josie, that girl has always been in love with you… hell, she couldn’t even look at anyone else, can’t even try to move on with anyone else. Yes, we know she’s not a saint that she might have used people’s body for carnal pleasure…” Lizzie gagged, “but she never could have given her heart to anyone else because she gave it to you, she gave it to you when we’re all stupid teens and she has never gotten it back, the same way you gave yours and never gotten it back. You don’t have a broken heart, Jo… what you have is a shattered heart of Penelope Park between your hands, and what she has on hers is yours and maybe, maybe this time… it’s time for you to fix it together. And I say this with all my love and honesty for you, because I'm the best sister there is and your beloved twin,” Lizzie finished her speech. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>please let me know what you think... hahaha I had this for two weeks but I'm like... re-writing it for the past two weeks and I can't seem to find my groove. Hope this works. </p><p>P.S. Petrarch is one funny guy, the very father of Humanism. *chuckles* I barely remember the whole Canzoniere but sonnet 134 is something I've textually studied back in uni. Backstory, the muse was named Laura, an older lady who is already married and he wrote lyrical poems with sporadic talks of his unrequited feelings for her and her death; he's all about the greater the pain the greater the love.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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